CVE-2017-10278 in Fusion Middleware
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle Tuxedo component of Oracle Fusion Middleware (subcomponent: Security). Supported versions that are affected are 11.1.1, 12.1.1, 12.1.3 and 12.2.2. Difficult to exploit vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via Jolt to compromise Oracle Tuxedo. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized access to critical data or complete access to all Oracle Tuxedo accessible data as well as unauthorized update, insert or delete access to some of Oracle Tuxedo accessible data and unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Oracle Tuxedo. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 7.0 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:L).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-10278 resides within Oracle Tuxedo, a component of Oracle Fusion Middleware that provides distributed transaction processing capabilities for enterprise applications. This security flaw specifically affects the Security subcomponent of Tuxedo and impacts several version lines including 11.1.1, 12.1.1, 12.1.3, and 12.2.2. The vulnerability operates at the network level and can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers who gain access through the Jolt protocol, which is Oracle's proprietary communication protocol used for distributed application processing. The attack vector represents a significant concern as it allows remote exploitation without requiring authentication credentials, making it particularly dangerous for systems exposed to untrusted networks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and authentication mechanisms within the Jolt protocol implementation. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform unauthorized operations against the affected Tuxedo instances, potentially gaining access to sensitive data and executing malicious actions that compromise the integrity and availability of the system. The vulnerability's classification as difficult to exploit indicates that while the attack requires some technical knowledge and may involve specific conditions, the attack surface remains substantial given Tuxedo's role in enterprise transaction processing environments. The CVSS 3.0 score of 7.0 reflects the severity of potential impacts including high confidentiality impact, low integrity impact, and low availability impact, suggesting that the primary concern is data exposure rather than system-wide disruption.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-10278 extends beyond simple data access violations to encompass complete compromise of sensitive enterprise data repositories. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can achieve unauthorized access to critical business data, potentially including financial records, customer information, and proprietary business intelligence. The ability to perform unauthorized updates, inserts, and deletes against Tuxedo-accessible data creates opportunities for data corruption and manipulation that can severely impact business operations and regulatory compliance. Additionally, the partial denial of service capability means that attackers can disrupt business processes by compromising the availability of transaction processing services, affecting the reliability of enterprise applications that depend on Tuxedo for distributed processing. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1110.003 for credential access through exploitation of vulnerabilities. Organizations running affected Tuxedo versions face significant risk as this vulnerability can be exploited by adversaries with minimal privileges, potentially leading to widespread data breaches and operational disruptions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-10278 should include immediate patch application from Oracle to address the specific vulnerability in affected Tuxedo versions. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to Jolt protocol ports, limiting exposure to trusted networks only. Organizations should conduct thorough network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and implement intrusion detection systems that can identify anomalous Jolt protocol traffic patterns. Regular vulnerability assessments and security audits should be performed to identify other potential attack vectors within the Oracle Fusion Middleware ecosystem. Access controls should be strengthened through mandatory authentication and authorization mechanisms, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access critical Tuxedo components. System administrators should also consider implementing application-level firewalls and additional monitoring controls specifically for Tuxedo services to detect and prevent unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability's classification as a medium severity issue in the context of enterprise security systems underscores the importance of proactive remediation rather than reactive response measures.